In mid-December, Emily Underwood, an assistant to President Donald Trump, organized a meeting with officials from five federal agencies to discuss actions concerning Colorado. The email, sent on December 15, instructed participants to prepare for a discussion on prioritizing Colorado for federal grants and support. This meeting occurred shortly before Trump criticized Colorado Governor Jared Polis regarding the imprisonment of former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters.
The email was revealed during a court hearing related to a lawsuit alleging retaliation by the Trump administration, which state officials claim was driven by the president's dissatisfaction with Peters' incarceration and Colorado's mail-in voting system. Following the email, several federal agencies announced funding cuts and other adverse actions against Colorado.
Colorado's deputy solicitor general described the email as a significant piece of evidence, indicating that the actions taken against the state were orchestrated from the Executive Office of the President. The White House denied any connection between the email and Peters. Tensions had been escalating between Colorado and the Trump administration, particularly regarding Peters, who was serving a sentence for election-related offenses.
In response to the email's disclosure, U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson expressed concern over the implications of the administration's actions, stating that targeting a state for not aligning with federal priorities was unprecedented. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser criticized the email as evidence of an unconstitutional scheme to use federal power against the state. Polis' office also noted that actions taken by the Trump administration had negatively impacted Colorado residents.